#DrosRapeCase: DA slams denied justice after Ninow case postponed

The Democratic Alliance and Civil Rights Groups have slammed the postponement of Nicholas Ninow's trial.

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 02: Nicholas Ninow, accused of raping a 7-year-old child appears at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on October 02, 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa. Ninow, 20, allegedly raped a 7-year-old girl in the bathroom of Dros restaurant on September 22. The case was postponed to November 01, 2018 and the suspect remains in custody. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Thulani Mbele)

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has slammed the postponement of Nicholas Ninow’s case, calling it a denial of justice.

The Pretoria Magistrate Court on Wednesday postponed the case to next year as Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital did not have a bed available to admit the alleged rapist Nicholas Ninow for psychiatric testing.

The statement read:

This means yet another child’s case is being delayed due to the ANC’s continued failure to provide critical services like a functioning health system that can work in tandem with the criminal justice system.

Justice delayed is justice denied. The alleged perpetrator of this heinous crime is now able to momentarily able to escape justice and accountability while this young girl and her family live with the horror and fear of what happened that day.

This truly, yet again underscores the need for sexual offences courts which will prioritise the needs of the victims of sexual violence in conjunction with a provincial government that cares for the most the vulnerable.

Civil Rights groups have also spoken out about the handling of the case.